


We Were Mermaid For Each Other

by nctzen127



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aquariums, Bad Puns, Crack, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Mystical Creatures, Soft Kim Jungwoo (NCT), Sweet Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nctzen127/pseuds/nctzen127
Summary: Lucas knew all about mystical creatures. He knew all about mermaids. And that's how he knew Jungwoo was a mermaid.But was he actually a mermaid?
Relationships: Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	We Were Mermaid For Each Other

Lucas and Jungwoo weren’t that close. Sure, they were in the same circle of friends, but they were both the friends of other members in the circle. They weren’t close in character, either. Jungwoo had a small group of friends and was on the quieter side, but he still had an eccentric personality. Lucas, on the other hand, was louder and seemed to be everyone’s friend, but he also had his moment of exuded introversion.

What made them the most opposite? Lucas wasn’t a mermaid.

The group of friends sat at the lunch table together, all talking amongst themselves. Jungwoo talked to Xiaojun, laughing at something the latter had said, as Lucas studied him. As he stared shamelessly, Johnny nudged Lucas to get his attention.

“You okay?”

Lucas nods, ”Yeah, just thinking,”

"Wow, it’s been awhile since you’ve done that.” Johnny jokes, laughing as Lucas playfully shoves him.

“ _ Ha ha _ , hilarious,” He shuffles in his seat, turning to Johnny with a serious look. “Do you think mythical creatures exist?”

With an eyebrow raised, Johnny looks back to Lucas, “No? Mythical literally means imaginary.”

“Not even mermaids?”

“Mermaids?” Johnny repeats, confused where Lucas was going with this.

“Promise you won't tell anybody?” Lucas asks, holding his pinky up to Johnny. Johnny sighs and nods, crossing his pinky with Lucas’ extra long pinky. “Alright,” Lucas whispers, getting closer to Johnny’s ear. “I think Jungwoo’s a mermaid. Like a real mermaid.”

Johnny pulls back to look at Lucas, suddenly breaking out into a fit of laughter. Everybody at the table looks between the two, including Jungwoo. Lucas’ cheeks tinge with a shade of crimson as he casts his eyes to his lap.

“Lucas, dude, you gotta tell everybody at the table what you just told me.” Johnny says between chuckles, still not able to pull himself together. Everyone at the table moves closer, eager to hear what was so funny.

“I’d rather not,” Lucas mumbles, hoping everyone would go back to what they were doing beforehand.

“Well now, I feel like I missed out on something,” Jungwoo quips, gaining a chuckle from Johnny.

“Oh,  _ you _ definitely missed out on something, but I guess I can’t tell you.” Johnny responds, earning a punch in the arm from Lucas.

…

“What proof do you have?” Johnny asks Lucas, who were both now sitting in their shared dorm.

“Well, I did a research paper on mermaids for my Folklore and Fiction class. And now every time I see Jungwoo, he either says something or does something that a mermaid would do.”

“That a mermaid  _ would _ do _ if _ they exist.” Johnny adds, causing Lucas to throw a pillow his way.

“Just shut up and let me tell you about my proof!” He huffs, catching the pillow Johnny threw back. “Okay, so doing my research paper allowed me to see what mermaids are like when they’re not in their mythical form, and he fits the guidelines. My foremost confirmation to his mythical side is he loves the animals and ocean. He even works at the aquarium!”

“Okay, but just because he likes the ocean doesn’t mean he’s a mermaid,” Johnny argues back.

“My second piece of evidence is he loves Starbucks. He goes there all the time!”

“Everybody likes Starbucks, Lucas, and what does that have anything to do with being a Mermaid.” Johnny proclaims, eyebrows stitched together in confusion.

“Okay, I’ll admit that that doesn’t account for much and isn’t my strongest evidence, but starbucks is the official currency of the ocean, everyone knows that.” Lucas mutters.

“Dude, I love you and all, but you’re stupid.”

“Fine, don’t believe me! But throughout the rest of the week, I’ll show you more proof. So much more that you must believe me!” Lucas didn’t know why he was so adamant on this, but he wanted to get down to the bottom of this.

“Well, I’ll be happy to hear it. I could use some entertainment this week.” Both boys moved on the topic, but Lucas ultimately kept the idea in the back of his head for the rest of the weekend.

…

Monday rolls around, lunch soon following. Sitting at the table was only Jungwoo, Xiaojun, Kun, Johnny, and of course, Lucas. Today, Lucas couldn’t help but notice Jungwoo’s appearance; flecks of silver and gold light reflected off of his cheek and collar bones.  _ Pretty _ , Lucas had to admit, but also another sign of his mythical side.

“Ha! More proof!” Lucas whisper-yells to Johnny, who was just trying to eat his lunch.

“Go on,” Johnny mumbles with his mouth full.

“He’s shiny and shimmery. Mermaids are known for being sparkly. That’s what makes them so beautiful.” Lucas whispers, still staring at Jungwoo. Jungwoo eventually catches him from across the table and smiles back, causing Lucas to avert his eyes somewhere else.

“So, Lucas,” Jungwoo starts, getting Lucas’ attention. “Did you do anything fun over the weekend?”

“Oh, uh, nothing much, really. Just working on my coursework for Folklore and Fiction.”

“Ooh, I love folklore! Did you talk about  _ the Little Mermaid _ yet?” Jungwoo asks, compelling Lucas to quickly send Johnny a look of surprise and confidence.

“No, not yet, but I did just do a paper on mermaid,” Lucas squints his eyes, “Why, do you like mermaids?”

Jungwoo tilts his head in confusion, but nods. “Yeah, is that weird or something?”

“Oh, no! No, I didn’t mean that in a mean way. I just, I don’t know. Didn’t know if you like them or not.” Lucas starts with wide eyes, soon going quiet the more he got flustered.

Jungwoo laughs warmly, patting his hand on Lucas’ comfortingly. “Lucas, it’s okay. I didn’t take offense to that.” Lucas only nods, feeling warmth in his hand where Jungwoo touched it.

“I mean, it’s kinda obvious he at least kinda liked mermaids. He works at the aquarium. Isn’t that right, Zeus?” Kun claims, earning a nod from Jungwoo. 

…

“Am I the only one who didn’t know people call him Zeus?” Lucas questions from his position on the bed.

“I’ve heard people call him Zeus, I just didn’t think it was important.” Johnny responds, sitting at the desk in their dorm.

“Well, it’s not important in general, but it’s more proof that he’s a mermaid. I mean, isn’t Zeus the god of the sea, or something?”

“No, dumbass. He’s the god of the sky, the opposite direction of the sea. You’re thinking of Poseidon.” 

“Okay, whatever, that may be wrong, but he said he liked mermaids and he was shiny. That must mean something!”

“Yes, it means he likes mermaids and was sweaty or something.”

“You’re no help,” Lucas huffs, sitting up. “ _ I  _ am going to prove it to you.”

“Why not just ask him?” Johnny asks, confused why Lucas made this so hard.

“Mermaids are rare creatures. It could be dangerous to tell someone that they’re a mermaid, duh.” Lucas pulls out his laptop, looking for ways to prove someone is a mermaid.

“You know what I think  _ this _ whole thing is?” Johnny asks, not waiting for a response. “I think you’re just tapping into your _ Aion  _ fantasy and using it to go through with your crush on Jungwoo.”

“Woah, no. First of all, how dare you bring up Aion! And second of all, I don’t like him like that”

“Okay, dude,” Johnny dismisses, allowing Lucas to go back to his research.

…

Today’s lunch table was one member short, as Kun had something else to do, leaving Jungwoo and Xiaojun with Johnny and Lucas. Johnny and Xiaojun hit it off, leaving the other two to eat in silence.

“So, uh, Jungwoo, did you do anything last night?” Lucas tries making conversation and does so awkwardly.

“I have an event at the aquarium this Saturday and I’m preparing for that, so I took a bath to try to make myself look pretty.” Jungwoo responds, a rose tint slipping onto his cheeks.

“A bath? Don’t most people like showers better? And you’re already pretty.”

“Oh, uh, thanks. I guess, but I like baths more. There’s nothing better than having your entire body submerged in scalding water.” In his head, Lucas is taking notes. It’s a known fact Mermaids love baths.

“Sounds orgasmic,” Lucas mindlessly responds, soon widening his eyes in shock.

Jungwoo laughs, smiling. “It is.”

Lucas gets up to throw his tray away, Jungwoo following suit. After dumping his tray, Jungwoo trips on his own feet, colliding into Lucas’ back. Lucas turns around quickly, hoping to catch him, but ultimately fails as Jungwoo grabs his shirt and pulls them both down.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Jungwoo voices, looking in confusion as Lucas laughs. Lucas pops up back onto his feet and pulls Jungwoo up with him.

“It’s okay! Clumsy?” He questions, Jungwoo nodding. They both go back to the table, joining the conversation they had left.

“Why don’t we all go get coffee tomorrow?” Johnny asks the group who had spent the entire lunch talking.

“I can’t, I have to study, but maybe Jungwoo will?” Xiaojun turns to Jungwoo.

“Sure, I’ll go, but I have to be to the aquarium by four tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sounds good to me.” Lucas responds, smiling at Jungwoo.

…

“I’ve concluded that he’s a mermaid.” Lucas whispers to Johnny as they both sat in their Physics lecture.

“Could this not have waited until we got back to the dorm?” Johnny questions.

“I’m too impatient. Anyway, he prefers baths, which is a mermaid thing. And, most importantly, he’s kinda clumsy.”

“What does that have to do with being a mermaid?”

“Well, because mermaids are used to being on fins and not using their human legs, they trip all the time.”

“Mr. Suh, Mr. Wong, please pay attention.” Their professor calls. They both nod and wait for the professor to turn around again.

“Lucas, I swear the more I talk to you, the dumber  _ I _ get. So stop talking to me, _ please _ .”

…

The three guys make their way to the local cafe and order their drinks, sitting in a comfy booth in the building's corner. As they talk, Johnny’s phone rings. He answers, looking stern as the other person talks.

“Okay. Got it. See you soon.” He ends the call, looking to the other two apologetically. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go. Apparently my chem professor is holding an impromptu study hall and you get credits if you show up, and I really _ really _ need credits.” Johnny rushes out of the door with his drink, leaving Jungwoo and Lucas alone.

“I guess we’re alone now,” Lucas says, eyeing Jungwoo.

“I guess so,” Jungwoo nods, taking a sip of his drink.

“So, are you ready for your event thing tomorrow?” Lucas asks.

“I think so, but I’m a little nervous. I’ve always been scared to show this side of me, but I’m ready to. You should come.” Jungwoo rummages through his bag, pulling out a ticket with the name of the aquarium.

“What kind of event is it?” Jungwoo asks, looking for hints on the ticket.

“You’ll see.” Jungwoo smiles. The two converse for the rest of the time, finding similarities the two didn’t know they had.

“Wait, so you’re telling me you like Red Velvet?” Jungwoo asks as he laughs.

Lucas nods. “I don’t know if you were at Johnny’s Halloween party last year, but I got a little too drunk and performed the dance to Red Flavor on his family’s antique dining table.” Both laugh as Lucas shows Jungwoo the video.

As their hangout goes on, Lucas grows warm with emotion. His feelings for Jungwoo extends as he soon realizes his genuine feelings for him. Lucas ends up driving Jungwoo to the aquarium. As Lucas pulls into parking he sees a sign reading:  _ See live mermaids Saturday at 2 pm. Now featuring a merman! _

_ So Jungwoo wasn’t a mermaid, but a merman,  _ Lucas thinks, pulling into a parking spot. He gets out of the car and walks with Jungwoo to the employee entrance.

“I had a fun time today.” Lucas says, facing Jungwoo.

“Me, too.” Jungwoo responds as Lucas takes a step closer. And Lucas swears  _ Jungwoo was looking at his lips. _

“Hey, uh, Jungwoo. Did you know mermaids are sparkly, and they’re clumsy, and they like the ocean, they, they, uh, like Starbucks, and they prefer baths?” Lucas mutters as the two stare into each other's eyes.

“I think I knew that.” Jungwoo nods, whispering back.

“And did you know that if you kiss a mermaid, they have to tell you they’re a mermaid?” Lucas looks down at Jungwoo’s lips, hoping to see if Jungwoo really was a mermaid. And he really just wanted to kiss Jungwoo.

“Is that so?” Jungwoo hums. Lucas nods. “Do you want to kiss me, Lucas?” Lucas nods. “Lucas, do you think I’m a mermaid?”

“A real life one, yes.” Lucas once again nods and Jungwoo smiles.

“How about this.” Jungwoo steps closer to Lucas. “You come to the event tomorrow and afterwards, you can kiss me to prove it. Sounds like a plan?” Lucas nods, clearly flustered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucas.” He steps away and enters the door.

“Bye,” Lucas responds, waving his hand like a fool. He walks back to his car, on edge in a good way.

…

Lucas once again pulls into the parking lot of the aquarium around 1:45. The event started in fifteen minutes and, boy, was Lucas nervous. He steps into the building and hands the employee his ticket. The employee hands him a backstage ticket and allows Lucas to enter the main hall. As much as he wanted to look at the fish, he wanted to see Jungwoo more. He makes his way into the room with the empty tank and sits in a vacant seat. He looks around, soon embarrassed; he was the only person there who wasn't a parent or young child. He looked like a tree among little flowers.

Soon, the lights dim as a normal employee stands in the front of the tank. “Good afternoon, everyone. Today we’ll be able to meet one of the most rare mythical creatures: the mermaid. These creatures look just like one of us, except they have beautiful fins. And starting today, we’ll be able to meet an even rarer creature: a merman! Please enjoy the show and don’t tap on the glass too hard, as that might disturb our aquatic friends!”

“Let’s meet our mermaid friends. This is Cordelia, the daughter of the sea. She has a purple tail.” A pretty woman swims through the water and waves. “Next is Marcelline, and she’s the defender of the sea. She has a pretty blue tail.”

“The next mermaid is Ula, and she’s the gem of the sea. Her tail is red.” The mermaid smiled as she swam circles around the tank.

“And last, but certainly not least, is Earwyn. He’s the friend of the sea and he has a lovely orange tail.” Lucas’ mouth sprung open as the beautiful merman waves at the audience. Jungwoo's tail was lovely, as it was a beautiful rust orange with flecks of gold. It was also plastic, Lucas could easily tell.

“For the next thirty minutes, please feel free to walk up to the tank and watch as our mermaids swim and do fun tricks!” Everyone gets up from their seat and walks up to the tank. Lucas sticks to the far left away from the others and watches as Jungwoo does flips in the water.

A few minutes later, Jungwoo swims up to Lucas and waves, subtly winking at Lucas. Lucas waves back, suddenly feeling shy. He puts his hand up to the glass. Jungwoo does the same on the other side of the tank, laughing at Lucas’ look of surprise. Jungwoo goes back to the other side of the tank and interacts with the children by following their hands from left to right. Lucas sighs from content, happy to see Jungwoo doing what he loves.

Soon, the event was over. The mermaids waved their last goodbyes and left the tank. The other guests left to explore the rest of the aquarium while Lucas sat back down, impatiently waiting.

The door close to the tank opens a few minutes later, an employee enters the viewing area. “Anybody with a backstage pass?” Lucas looks around and sees as he’s the only one there. He gets up and hands the employee his pass. He follows the employee back to a room similar to a locker room, and sits on a bench.

A door opens, causing Lucas to smile and get up. There Jungwoo was, clad in a black hoodie and jeans, hair still damp from the show. Jungwoo smiles back and hugs Lucas, who happily hugs back.

“You were amazing,” He confesses, smelling the chlorine in Jungwoo’s hair.

“Thanks,” He says, smiling up to Lucas. “Let’s get out of here before the kids see me.” They both walk out of the aquarium and to the koi pond at the back of the property. They stand and watch the fish move freely before Lucas speaks.

“I thought you were a real life mermaid.”

“Just at heart.” Jungwoo smiles warmly.

“But, you’ve shown me so many signs of being a mermaid.” Lucas asserts, looking at Jungwoo. “You’re sometimes clumsy,”

“I’ve always been a bit clumsy,”

“You prefer baths,”

“You said it yourself, it’s orgasmic.” Jungwoo chuckles.

“You like the ocean and animals,” Lucas points out.

“I was obsessed with the Little Mermaid as a kid.”

“You like Starbucks,”

“Everybody likes Starbucks.”

“Fair, but you’re literally shimmery and shiny some days!”

“Sometimes I wear highlighter.” After a moment of silence, Jungwoo speaks again, “Anymore evidence?” Lucas shakes his head as Jungwoo turns the taller to face him. “Well, how about you kiss me, then? That might prove it to you.”

Lucas looks at Jungwoo’s eyes and then his lips as he creeps his head closer to Jungwoo’s. They both meet in the middle as they finally kiss. Their foreheads press against each other’s as they slowly pull away, both staring into the other’s eyes. Jungwoo giggles, Lucas soon joining.

“Happy?” Jungwoo smiles, whispering to Lucas.

“Not quite. I mean, the kiss was great, but I don’t know if that was enough proof.”

“Fair enough.” Jungwoo shrugs, leaning in to kiss Lucas again. Lucas runs his hand through Jungwoo’s damp hair, causing Jungwoo to smile into the kiss. Jungwoo places his hands on Lucas’ neck, thumbs drawing circles by his ears.

Jungwoo eventually pulls away, leaving Lucas to whine. “How about we shell-ebrate this moment by going on a date?” Jungwoo asks, making Lucas laugh.

“That’s a fin-tastic idea!” Jungwoo laughs at Lucas’ corny puns.

“That pun was amazing, that’s for  _ shore _ .”

“Yeah, buoy." Lucas responds, externally cringing.

“Lucas, I think that’s the worst fucking pun I’ve heard.” Jungwoo laughs as the two walk hand in hand to the car.

“Well, they can’t all be mer-mazing.”

“With these puns, I think you could say we were mer-maid for each other.” Lucas nods in agreement, smiling at his new mermaid friend.

  
  
  



End file.
